5 - 11 September 2002
Issue No. 602
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Ronaldo for Real

REAL MADRID have added to their star-studded line-up by finalising a deal for the transfer of Brazilian World Cup hero Ronaldo from Inter Milan. The four-year deal, confirmed late on Saturday, will cost the European champions in the region of £22-28.5 million with payments spread over several years.

Inter have already found a replacement for Ronaldo -- Lazio striker Hernan Crespo. Under the terms of the Ronaldo deal, Inter will have until December to choose another Real player as part exchange for their Brazilian superstar. The player is expected to be either Argentina's Santiago Solari, Spaniard Pedro Munitis or Brazilian Flavio Conceicao. However, Real could refuse Inter's choice and pay an additional £6m (10 million euros).

Initially, Real were set to pay Inter £13m (20 million euros) for the Brazilian ace, plus striker Fernando Morientes and another player of their choice valued at about £6.5m (10 million euros).

Real Madrid launched a fresh bid for Ronaldo on Friday by offering Inter a reported £23.5m plus Pedro Munitis, but the clubs failed to reach agreement.

Since returning from the World Cup, Ronaldo, 25, had set his sights on joining Real, a decision which infuriated Inter's fans and saddened the club's president Massimo Moratti. Ronaldo joined Inter from Real's rivals Barcelona in 1997, but his time at the Italian club has been hampered by serious knee injuries. Inter had rejected previous bids for Ronaldo but in a meeting with Moratti in Milan on Wednesday last week, Ronaldo repeated his intention to join Real. He will play alongside two other winners of the World Footballer of the Year title, Luis Figo and Zinedine Zidane.

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